Sandboxes are a type of MMO that emphasize player freedom and expression. They frequently include mechanics for building, crafting, trading, character customization and development, roleplaying, destruction, and significant interaction with the world and other players. A sandbox that is dominated by an open-PvP or free-for-all ruleset is sometimes pejoratively called a gankbox. Contrast with the themepark.
sandbox
Elite: Dangerous looks ahead to 1.4 ‘CQC Championship’ patch
Elite: Dangerous has held its first dedicated convention and is already racing ahead to its next major update. "We’re looking at weeks, rather than...
Shroud of the Avatar’s Long talks building narrative on top of a sandbox
Shroud of the Avatar's latest Update of the Avatar has been released. As per usual, it sums up the major happenings for Portalarium's crowdfunded...
Star Citizen’s FPS elements to feature ‘slow-paced tactical gameplay’ and consequences for death
Cloud Imperium has published another one of its weekly Star Marine status updates for Star Citizen. The post covers everything from engineering and coding...
The Daily Grind: What’s most important to you in a space sim?
I am still waiting for my dream space sim to dock at my port, and I'm not sure if it ever will. It's a...
Das Tal showing off small events with this weekend’s playtest
Das Tal is still a ways off from operating an ongoing alpha program, but the team is throwing a one-day test for this Sunday...
ArcheAge kicks off double XP weekend today
Got big plans for this weekend? No you don't any longer. You're going to cancel them, stock up on snacks and drinks, and then...
Black Desert gets a major update on July 23rd
Would you like to have a large patch to the nascent Black Desert? "No," you said, "I'd like to have an idea about when...
The Soapbox: An ode to MMO positivity
I had a strange thought the other day, at least as regards the MMO genre. I'm kinda having fun here. I know, it surprised...
Star Citizen’s Lesnick promises ‘incredible progress’ and addresses concerns
The war of words between developer Derek Smart and Star Citizen isn't over yet. A recent livestream for a German fan channel saw director...
Derek Smart demands Star Citizen’s Chris Roberts resign, fronts $1M for audit
Claiming he's had "enough of the bullshit that is the 'vaporware' that RSI/CIG have foisted on legacy backers," game developer and internet...
The Daily Grind: Is the sandbox MMO resurgence the result of nostalgia?
This morning's Daily Grind question arrives from Kickstarter donor n3v3r3nder, who wants to talk sandboxes.
Do you think of the recent emergence of sandbox MMOs is...
Albion adds Deadlands content, touts summer alpha numbers
Albion's summer alpha is going swimmingly, according to an update posted today on the fantasy sandbox's website. So far, 15,400 players from 145 countries...
ArcheAge 2.0 is closing the version gap between the US and Korean versions
It's an undeniable fact that ArcheAge took a little while to arrive here on western shores, which means that the game's big updates are all...
RuneFest tickets now on sale for real money or in-game bonds
RuneScape's annual convention, RuneFest, is coming this fall to London. And while October 3rd is a ways away, you can purchase a ticket to...
EVE Online details the ins and outs of Sovereignty
The big focus in EVE Online recently has been Sovereignty, the process of taking control of the valuable resources in nullsec space. But how...
Flameseeker Chronicles: Trinity dependence in Guild Wars 2 Heart of Thorns
I don't know about you lot, but I really enjoy ArenaNet's Points of Interest livestream that airs on its official Twitch channel. It contains a massive...
The war of words between Derek Smart and Star Citizen continues
If you're busy today, don't worry, we understand. We can assure you that this post does not contain a direct link to another 11,000...
Global Chat: How Marvel Heroes made a dad a hero
I love a good customer service story, because it reminds me that a lot goes right behind-the-scenes at MMOs that's hardly ever reported. Braxwolf...
Shards’ pre-alpha server admins are now up and running
Shards Online has officially kicked off its second pre-alpha phase. Project lead Derek Brinkmann posted an update on the game's website today, saying that...
Face of Mankind is shutting down in August
Sci-fi sandbox MMO Face of Mankind is calling it a career. A Nexeon spokesperson confirmed the news on the game's official forum, saying that...
